So You're a Fruit Tree

The results were a mixed bag.

That Lovesick Heartbreak Red was straightforward enough. The Bodhi Seed "entered its mouth," and light flowed across the entire Immortal Herb before gradually subsiding. It simply flopped down beside Ah Yin to keep her company.

No sweating... no shivering either. It was remarkably tough.

Now, as for the Aromatic Silk Beauty...

Lin Hai saw it clearly. Its layers upon layers of delicate petals were trembling ever so slightly, and its entire body seemed filled with an urgent longing—I want it!

Yet it just... "couldn't open its mouth"!

That faint trace of spiritual awareness apparently wasn't enough to accomplish such a difficult movement.

...I gave you the chance, but you were useless.

Lin Hai sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat exasperated by its failure to live up to expectations.

But on second thought, he stopped dwelling on it—

Having grown beneath the Bodhi Ancient Tree for so long, it would open its "mouth" sooner or later.

With everything settled, it was time for the main event—pill refinement!

It was worth mentioning that Lin Hai had undergone the Bodhi Ancient Tree's transformation from the age of three until his Martial Soul Awakening, and he had long since developed a body immune to all poisons.

That was also the fundamental reason why he could come and go freely within Dugu Bo's Poison Array even without using Cosmic Spirit Control to disperse the toxic mist.

Thanks to this uniquely blessed physique, he had researched toxicology and pharmacology over the years with complete abandon and no reservations whatsoever.

Bibi Dong's initial worries had turned out to be entirely unfounded. Of course, Yang Wushuang's notebook had still given him plenty of inspiration.

At that moment, what Lin Hai needed to do was toss all the Immortal Herbs and spiritual medicines he had obtained, along with his own blood containing special power, into the Bu Yuan Cauldron for analysis, then use it to deduce the most perfect refinement plan.

The Bu Yuan Cauldron encountered no obstacles in analyzing the medicinal properties and deducing the plans. In less than two hours, three clear options had appeared—

The first plan:

Gather the essence of every Immortal Herb and spiritual medicine, then refine them together with his own blood in a single batch.

Using the power of his blood to neutralize all poisons, it would ultimately produce a multifunctional divine pill capable of tempering the body, increasing ice and fire resistance, and even evolving certain Martial Souls.

However, while the pill's medicinal power would be immense, its flaw was impossible to conceal—it was far too wasteful.

The essence of Immortal Grades such as Aromatic Silk Beauty and Earth Dragon Golden Gourd should have been directed toward evolving Martial Souls of specific attributes or races. Mixing them together for refinement and having non-target Soul Masters consume them would be a terrible waste.

Then there were Immortal Herbs with conflicting extreme attributes, such as Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot. If they were refined into this pill, Soul Masters with water or fire attributes simply would not be able to consume it.

Even if Soul Masters of other attributes took it, they could only greatly improve their resistance to ice and fire. The extraordinary effect of strengthening the corresponding attribute Martial Souls would be wasted for nothing.

As for so-called water and fire immunity? That was utter nonsense!

How could there be absolute immunity in this world? If one encountered the origin power of beings like the Water Fire Dragon King, so-called immunity would become a joke in an instant.

The second plan:

Break the whole into parts. Use each Immortal Herb as the primary ingredient, supplement it with his own blood and other compatible spiritual medicines, and refine them separately.

This plan aimed to push the effects of each individual Immortal Herb to the limit, preserving and enhancing their unique attributes to the greatest extent possible.

The third plan:

Take a middle path by refining Immortal Herbs with similar attributes together, while combining attribute-less Immortal Herbs as circumstances required.

For example, Infernal Delicate Apricot could be refined alongside Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, since their fire natures complemented each other.

Gentle, attribute-less Immortal Grades such as Eight-petal Immortal Orchid and Water Lily Jade Muscle Bone could be refined together with Immortal Grades like Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum.

Though this would not enhance its Golden attribute, the effect on consolidating one's foundation, nourishing one's origin, and improving the foundation of Soul Power would be exceptionally significant.

Lin Hai already understood clearly:

The drawbacks of the first plan were too great. It absolutely could not be chosen.

As for whether to choose the second or third plan, the key was to first determine how many pills could ultimately be produced, then consider their allocation before finalizing the plan.

Over the next several hours, Lin Hai immersed his mind in the Bu Yuan Cauldron and repeatedly deduced and simulated the possibilities, finally settling on the plan he wanted.

With the plan decided, Lin Hai no longer needed to worry too much about the pill refinement itself. The Bu Yuan Cauldron could complete it on its own.

His most important task now was letting blood!

However, pill refinement ultimately could not avoid an age-old core issue—Soul Power!

The law of conservation of energy often applied even on Douluo Continent.

If he wanted to enhance the pill's effectiveness, the refinement process had to absorb an enormous amount of Soul Power.

If not for the Bu Yuan Cauldron's extraordinary nature and its disdain for Soul Power, Lin Hai would practically suspect the thing of secretly skimming energy while refining pills!

After letting blood, Lin Hai sent his Spiritual Power into his dantian.

Ah Yin's Blue Silver Emperor true body was still trembling slightly, emitting vigorous fluctuations of life—clearly, her evolution had not yet ended!

As for the process of that Bodhi Seed releasing energy, who knew how long it would continue.

This truly put Lin Hai in a difficult position.

Did he really have to become a "wanderer" again? Running all over the place, wasting who knew how much time and traveling who knew how far before the refinement could succeed?!

There was, however, a ready-made and terrifying source of Soul Power before him—the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well!

The energy leaking from the two Dragon King corpses gathered here, and the Soul Power contained within was unimaginably vast.

But how could he use it? Toss the Bu Yuan Cauldron directly into it? If that triggered a rampage from the Dragon Souls and blew up the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it might very well draw the Divine Realm's attention.

Lin Hai stared at the spring shrouded in red and blue mist, sinking into thought as though weighing a world-shaking decision.

Forget it! When in doubt, ask Old Bodhi Tree. He had lived longer and was wiser...

Lin Hai transmitted through his thoughts:

"Old Bodhi Tree, how about we make a deal? I need to refine pills and urgently need Soul Power. Could you let a little leak out through the cracks in your old bark?"

The Bodhi Ancient Tree replied lazily:

"No. This old man still needs to grow. I don't even have enough for myself! I had to transform you back then, and now I still have to set aside a portion every year to nourish that Bodhi Seed."

Lin Hai's voice was firm yet puzzled:

"Transforming me was only natural, so there's no need to mention it."

"But why do you still have to produce a Bodhi Seed every year? Aren't you just burdening yourself?"

The Bodhi Ancient Tree grew slightly annoyed:

"Do you think I can simply choose not to bear one? Have you ever seen a fruit tree that could control whether or not it bore fruit?"

So you're a fruit tree!

Lin Hai muttered inwardly, while saying "enviously" aloud:

"Tsk, I really envy you lot. You don't need to find a partner, yet you can 'give birth' all by yourselves. I can't do that..."

Ignoring his smugness, the Bodhi Ancient Tree emphasized:

"Bear fruit! Not give birth!"

Lin Hai quickly changed the subject:

"Yes, yes, yes... Then where does the energy you use to grow usually come from? There's no energy in my dantian for you to absorb."

He truly was curious about this point, and had even been quite worried about it at one time.

A tree, even a fantastical tree, needed nourishment to grow.

If it could not get it from the air, then it could only draw it from the soil...

The Bodhi Ancient Tree spoke with a trace of disdain and pride:

"Rely on you? Hmph! This old man is the Bodhi Ancient Tree, the tree of wisdom! The older I grow, the wiser I become. The wiser I become, the taller I grow!"

"Good heavens! Using time as nourishment—a tree of laws! Self-sufficient and impressive!" Lin Hai was greatly astonished.

The Bodhi Ancient Tree replied smugly:

"Of course!"